Sam Ash Closing over 10+ stores
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There is far less equipment to be sold now, and it's only the players of an actual instrument who want a space where they can try out a given product, Music stores that once offered huge inventories of all kinds of music gear are now having to rely solely on the actual musician and the sale of instruments, In addition, much of today's music is being synthesized rather than played on a real instrument. Even monitoring has moved to the in-ear realm rather than bulky speakers and amps.
Retail stores for music gear will continue to decline in numbers due to realities of the digital age. Any long time DJ who stays current with the technology should recognize this in their own current setup. 2 or 3 or more turntbales, records, CDs, audio mixer, processing, effects, and samplers is not the mountain of gear it once was - today it all fits in a single digital control device reading music files from your thumb drive.
Analog studios have dozens of 12 thru 30 space racks housing processors, patch bays, recorders, and every conceivable device one might need in the audio chain. This is what you see in photographs of of vintage recording studios, or backstage on tour. But none of that gear is required anymore because so much of it all fits within the single rack space of a DSP. You can have a full recording studio on a single small desk in the corner of your den.
The same is true for disc-jockeys. All you really need is a computer and DI box and you can play-out with incredible sophistication in your mix. You can be a producer with a similar small desk in the corner of your own den. A lot music peripherals today are digital and might actually be installed by an IT guy rather than a music pro.
Retail stores for music gear will continue to decline in numbers due to realities of the digital age. Any long time DJ who stays current with the technology should recognize this in their own current setup. 2 or 3 or more turntbales, records, CDs, audio mixer, processing, effects, and samplers is not the mountain of gear it once was - today it all fits in a single digital control device reading music files from your thumb drive.
Analog studios have dozens of 12 thru 30 space racks housing processors, patch bays, recorders, and every conceivable device one might need in the audio chain. This is what you see in photographs of of vintage recording studios, or backstage on tour. But none of that gear is required anymore because so much of it all fits within the single rack space of a DSP. You can have a full recording studio on a single small desk in the corner of your den.
The same is true for disc-jockeys. All you really need is a computer and DI box and you can play-out with incredible sophistication in your mix. You can be a producer with a similar small desk in the corner of your own den. A lot music peripherals today are digital and might actually be installed by an IT guy rather than a music pro.
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What about Macy's closing 150 stores and making smaller stores. What about Sears going out of business and Toy's R US. Who's next? Online sales is the reason some stores are either suffering or going out of business. There was a time there was no buying things online.
Things change, adapt or die, it the way of the world, always has been
Sears had the best chance to survive of anyone they were always doing mail order sales they had the infrastructure set up but wouldn't embrace internet sales until it was too late
I hear you and you're right. Some small businesses can't afford to do online sales.
Is the one in Roosevelt Field still around? I think that was the first guitar store I ever visited.
What I find interesting is Guitar Center and Sam Ash are both on Route 22 across from one another. Guitar Center is on the West Side and Sam Ash is on the East Side. I don't know how both of them are able to survive.
It's really interesting to see where this will eventually go. Part of me suspects that the brands that make gear will eventually need to create showcase environments for their stuff since the retailers will largely be gone.
Consumers clearly want to be able to see and touch some of this merchandise, but they go to a local store to try it out. Then they go home and order from someone cheaper. So if all the retailers go out of business, the only way to demo anything will be if the manufacturers create a way to touch and handle their stuff.
There are isolated ways now, like the DJ expos. And we obviously see a lot of stuff sold through YouTube reviews and influencer type folks like Jason Jani showing off his rigs. But that won't hit the whole country. I could see a shop like Pioneer running road shows, but some of the smaller companies will have trouble doing that I'd bet.
It just doesn't make sense to keep any of these retailers open and pay the rent necessary for retail storefront if you're just going to get undercut by online retailers all the time.
Consumers clearly want to be able to see and touch some of this merchandise, but they go to a local store to try it out. Then they go home and order from someone cheaper. So if all the retailers go out of business, the only way to demo anything will be if the manufacturers create a way to touch and handle their stuff.
There are isolated ways now, like the DJ expos. And we obviously see a lot of stuff sold through YouTube reviews and influencer type folks like Jason Jani showing off his rigs. But that won't hit the whole country. I could see a shop like Pioneer running road shows, but some of the smaller companies will have trouble doing that I'd bet.
It just doesn't make sense to keep any of these retailers open and pay the rent necessary for retail storefront if you're just going to get undercut by online retailers all the time.
I, and many of my dj friends haven't touched or heard a piece of equipment that I bought in almost a decade. Like a lot nowadays, if you're paying top dollar for an item, a lot of it is word of mouth and taking the time to research what you have interest in to make sure you're getting the best. I bought my rcf system based on others input. I bought astera's based on seeing certain setups that I liked. I did research in everything to make sure it was right for my needs, but the exposure to items came from others. And that's how it will continue to be I feel.
There will be pioneers who are willing to try new things and will be able to provide real feedback as well as influencer types who will try to promote certain things (paid to do so by the manufacturer or receive compensation by the views they get and their reputation being their brand)... and then the consumers will have to take all of this in and make the best decisions. Stores just allowed you to buy something today and there will be a need for that, but they can't rely on physical storefronts for their survival. Look at Idjnow, they have 2 storefronts, but they're virtually all internet based. With each few passing years, the reliance of that in person experience will be diminished further.
There are some fantastic music stores that will continue to thrive because they have a concept that is rooted in the art of music. They know their customers, they know the products musicians love, and they maintain a selling space that caters to the creative mind.
Places like Guitar Center on the other hand, are a purely retail experience that is all but (save for branding) indistinguishable from Best Buy or Walmart. No one leaves Guitar center with a sense of being immersed in a craft. These retailers are the one's with no creative claim of their own and hence no ability to craft an experience valued by music makers. As a result, their product lines wax and wain with electronics manufacturing and retailing instead of the arts. They are easily derailed by technological change. Retailing is a 'what's next?' domain and in the face of technology we can see just how this plays out with respect to a electronics based skill.
Disc-jockey equipment is a purely retail experience and we know this because we delineate DJs on the basis of 'skills.' Skills are a tradable commodity that can be rapidly learned or taught at almost any age. All things retail eventually fade over time, and especially as technology begins automating or simply leveling the field with respect to these skills. Today, no one actually needs skills to be a DJ - it's actually some other talent or another aspect of the service that's keeps clients committed. For an interested DJ - touch is not a significant part of choosing and buying equipment, and even when it is, price can easily get in the way. As a tech endeavor no DJ ever needs to visit an actual showroom.
Musicians are ultimately rooted in talent. We may have talent in moderate or greater scale (or none that we pursue) and while there are skills to be learned it is not merely these skills that can create the art of music. The talent requirement also isn't limited to the musician. It includes the dreamers and makers of instruments, and the able mentors and teachers to match musician and instrument. Musicians are cultivated and the creative space is a 'what feeds' domain. Stores that exist in that space will easily survive - even in the face of A.I.
Places like Guitar Center on the other hand, are a purely retail experience that is all but (save for branding) indistinguishable from Best Buy or Walmart. No one leaves Guitar center with a sense of being immersed in a craft. These retailers are the one's with no creative claim of their own and hence no ability to craft an experience valued by music makers. As a result, their product lines wax and wain with electronics manufacturing and retailing instead of the arts. They are easily derailed by technological change. Retailing is a 'what's next?' domain and in the face of technology we can see just how this plays out with respect to a electronics based skill.
Disc-jockey equipment is a purely retail experience and we know this because we delineate DJs on the basis of 'skills.' Skills are a tradable commodity that can be rapidly learned or taught at almost any age. All things retail eventually fade over time, and especially as technology begins automating or simply leveling the field with respect to these skills. Today, no one actually needs skills to be a DJ - it's actually some other talent or another aspect of the service that's keeps clients committed. For an interested DJ - touch is not a significant part of choosing and buying equipment, and even when it is, price can easily get in the way. As a tech endeavor no DJ ever needs to visit an actual showroom.
Musicians are ultimately rooted in talent. We may have talent in moderate or greater scale (or none that we pursue) and while there are skills to be learned it is not merely these skills that can create the art of music. The talent requirement also isn't limited to the musician. It includes the dreamers and makers of instruments, and the able mentors and teachers to match musician and instrument. Musicians are cultivated and the creative space is a 'what feeds' domain. Stores that exist in that space will easily survive - even in the face of A.I.
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I buy semi locally for service, Full Compass systems is about an hour from me they are an authorized repair center for every brand they carry , have given me free loaner gear in the past when something has broken, nothing gets shipped out for repair, It does cost a little more sometimes but the service is worth it
Online sales has really changed buying habits. You no longer have to worry about going to a store only to find the item you want out of stock. Amazon has also made returns about as easy as you can get. There is a return center less than 2 miles from me. GC is more than 10 miles from me. I don't have to worry about finding the original packaging or the original receipt to make the return. In other words, they are servicing their customers better than most brick and mortar stores.
I used to never buy clothes online. You can't judge fabric texture, see real colors and no two brands have the same fit. However, now that returns are so easy, I find myself buying some clothing online. Again, Amazon is offering me a better shopping experience. When I was with a startup, we were selling test gear at $3K/each. Some customers were dubious of a new brand. I put the items on Amazon with next day delivery and sure enough, people felt more secure in buying our products.
I used to never buy clothes online. You can't judge fabric texture, see real colors and no two brands have the same fit. However, now that returns are so easy, I find myself buying some clothing online. Again, Amazon is offering me a better shopping experience. When I was with a startup, we were selling test gear at $3K/each. Some customers were dubious of a new brand. I put the items on Amazon with next day delivery and sure enough, people felt more secure in buying our products.
I agree with you - I know tons of people that need to see and touch before they buy - and moving to an Amazon type store won't work. While some can do the mail order scene, many cannot. When that's your only option, lots of things will change for lots of people.
It’s actually down the block from Rosevelt field and I think it is closing. Guitar city has a store across the street from Roosevelt Field. I think guitar city is doing better business as I have brought a couple of smaller items from the store. I used to bring my son into guitar city to,play the drums there.
I’m sorry to say I started buying stuff online in the early 90s. I have a Citibank card which doesn’t even have a barcode, they issued back then just for online purchase. It first started with computers. I used to use a monthly magazine computer shopper. Then progressed to video equipment, then audio equipment. Pretty much anything can be shipped. Sometimes the larger equipment comes on shipping skids. That’s how my new JBL system came in. Not only is the price better from who I buy from online, they are far more knowledgeable than anyone I run into in stores. That’s how I met one of the big shots in Sam, Ash, one of my guys in 1992 was in Sam Ash telling them about the my Martin Intel lighting and Howie overheard the conversation and contacted me. I met up with him that the next LDI conference in Dallas. Intel lighting was big back then and the major players were Highend and Martin. Now you don’t see either. ADJ was DJ level then. Now ADJ, Elation & Chauvet now are major players
Martin was acquired by ETC, and High End by Harmon International. ETC is very much in the mainstream and their products are everywhere.
You don't see the Brand names Martin and High End. Ok?
I said nothing about ETC I don't recall seeing them in the 1990s to 2000s